3 key takeaways as Baseball Savant introduces new bat speed tracking feature
Baseball Savant has long been a leader in tracking data around Major League Baseball. Now, they have unleashed a plethora of new data for coaches, players and fans to break down with the introduction of new bat speed tracking features.
Some of the new data is easier to wrap your head around like "bat speed" and "swing length." However, they have also introduced "blasts." A "Blast" is defined as a fast swing that squares up the ball.
With all the new data thrown at us, we break down some of the key takeaways.
Three takeaways following Baseball Savant's updated bat speed tracking feature
#3 - It is not all about bat length
With the introduction of Baseball Savant's new data, we can see that some players with the shortest swings in the league have done well.
Baltimore Orioles slugger Gunnar Henderson holds one of the shortest swings in the league and has the second-most home runs across Major League Baseball.
Other players with short swings like Bobby Witt Jr. and Luis Arraez have also seen a lot of success with their short swings. You do not have to have a long bat through the zone to be a good hitter in this league.
#2 Is this the end of switch hitters?
With the new "bat speed" data, players who can swing it from both sides of the plate will have a better understanding of their game. If they cannot produce the same bat speed on both sides, they may limit how much they switch sides.
Per Fantrax's Will Harris, Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Ketel Marte has a 6.3 mph difference from the right side to the left side. That is quite the gap to be had.
#1 Bat speed matters
The New York Yankees have seen much success this season. That could be because they have three players, including Giancarlo Stanton, who rank in the top 10 in terms of average bat speed.
According to Baseball Savant, they are not the only ones achieving success with above-average bat speeds. The Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles also rank among the top and all are well above .500.
Much of the new data confirmed what many managers, players and fans already knew. Good teams hit the ball hard while short swings can still play in this league. However, we could see a decline in the number of switch-hitters coming to the plate from here on out.